Research Guides: Constitution Day: Library Resources

Special Collections and Archives

Dr. Hector P. Garcia Digital Exhibit
Explore Dr. Hector P. Garcia's legacy as a doctor, soldier, activist, and ambassador.
Dr. Hector P. Garcia Papers
The papers of Dr. Hector P. Garcia (1914-1996) are a centerpiece of the university's manuscript holdings. Corpus Christi physician, founder of the American G.I. Forum, and legendary community leader, Dr. Garcia was active in political and civic affairs for over fifty years and ranks as one of the most important figures in Mexican American history. Dr. Garcia's papers comprise one of the most valuable resources in existence on the Mexican-American experience during the last half of the twentieth century. They include records relating to the American G.I. Forum, which he began in 1948, and cover the major issues faced by Mexican Americans during his career as a champion of civil rights.

Government Documents

Federal Documents

Check out these resources from our Federal Government

Constitution Annotated
Analysis and Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution
The Constitution of the United States
America's Founding Documents from the National Archives
The Constitution
From the White House
Constitutional Amendment Process
From the Office of the Federal Register (OFR)
The Constitution: What Did It Say?
America's Founding Documents from the National Archives

Books

America's Unwritten Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar
Call Number: KF4541 .A875 2012
This work presents a new vision of the American constitutional system, showing how the complementary relationship between the Constitution's written and unwritten components is one of America's greatest and most enduring strengths
Conventional Wisdom
Call Number: KF4555 .V565 2016
In this book, John R. Vile surveys more than two centuries of scholarship on Article V and concludes that the weight of the evidence (including a much-overlooked Federalist essay) indicates that states and Congress have the legal right to limit the scope of such conventions to a single subject and that political considerations would make a runaway convention unlikely.
The Founding Fathers Guide to the Constitution by Brion McClanahan
Call Number: KF4541 .M335 2012
Outlines the articles of the Constitution and interprets its clauses for the modern political age, discussing such issues as the power of states, the autonomy of the president, and the status of the electoral college
A Guide to the United States Constitution
Call Number: KF4527 .G56 2019
Ackerman and Ginsberg explain the origins of each constitutional provision. They assess the ways in which each has been used and interpreted over time. And they examine the controversies that continue to surround key constitutional principles.
The Heart of the Constitution by Gerard N. Magliocca
The Bill of Rights that emerges from Magliocca's fresh historical examination is a living text that means something different for each generation and reflects the great ideas of the Constitution - individual freedom, democracy, states' rights, judicial review, and national power in time of crisis.
Jefferson, Madison, and the Making of the Constitution by Jeff Broadwater
In this book, Jeff Broadwater explores the evolution of the constitutional thought of these two seminal American figures, from the beginning of the American Revolution through the adoption of the Bill of Rights. In explaining how the two political compatriots could have produced such seemingly dissimilar documents but then come to a common constitutional ground, Broadwater reveals how their collaboration--and their disagreements--influenced the full range of constitutional questions during this early period of the American republic.
We the People
Call Number: KF4552 .C54 2018
"This work will become the defining text on progressive constitutionalism -- a parallel to Thomas Picketty's contribution but for all who care deeply about constitutional law. Beautifully written and powerfully argued, this is a masterpiece." --Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School.
The Writing and Ratification of the U. S. Constitution by John R. Vile
Call Number: KF4541 .V555 2012
Focusing chiefly on records of debates at the Convention, the book is a legal brief, identifying key facts, issues, arguments, and compromises, and providing a unique window into the contestation surrounding this keystone American political moment. This book is perfect for scholars and students in the field of American political history and development.

Media Collection

Civics and Citizenship Multimedia Presentation: A Promise of Freedom (DVD, CD-ROM, Print)
A promise of freedom : an introduction to U.S. history and civics for immigrants (DVD, 12 min.) -- Becoming a U.S. citizen : and overview of the naturalization process (CD-ROM, 10 min.)
more...less...
System requirements for CD-ROM: Windows: Windows 98 or later; Intel Pentium II 450MHz or faster processor (or equivalent); 128MB of RAM; DVD drive
System requirements for CD-ROM: Macintosh: Mac OS X v.10.1.x; PowerPC G3 500MHz or faster processor; Inter Core Duo 1.83GHz or faster processor; 128MB of RAM; DVD drive
The Constitution and Cyberspace
Return to American policies on cybersecurity, this time focusing on the idea of government monitoring of the Internet. Start by learning all about how on-network monitoring systems work. After that, step back and examine how government monitoring is enforced and limited--but not prohibited--by the Constitution.
Constitution U.S.A.
Traveling across the country by motorcycle, Sagal is in search of where the U.S. Constitution lives, how it works and how it doesn't... how it unites us as a nation and how it has nearly torn us apart.
Our Constitution: A Conversation (DVD)
United States Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen Breyer talk about the Constitution with high school students and discuss why we have and need a constitution, what federalism is, how implicit and explicit rights are defined and how separation of powers ensures that no one branch of government obtains too much power
Perfect 36: When Women Won the Vote
This program chronicles the dramatic vote to ratify the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote, and the years of debate about women's suffrage that preceded it.
The Words That Built America
The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution and The Bill of Rights represent much more than the words used by America's Founding Fathers to define a fragile, nascent country.